Feels like a return to form for the long-dormant series. The new control scheme courtesy of the Wii U GamePad makes it standout, alternate vehicles like the Arwing’s Walker form change up gameplay from existing predecessors, and the pure challenge present throughout every new area makes this a game that players will come back and jump into at a moment’s notice.

Enter the Gungeon is a charming bullet hell/roguelike hybrid that manages to balance the best elements of both its genre influences while carving out an identity of its own.

Bravely Second: End Layer isn’t quite the innovative powerhouse its predecessor was, but offers a more refined experience that learns from Bravely Default‘s mistakes.

Dark Souls 3 offers a unique experience that blends subtle storytelling, dark settings, and painfully difficult encounters to stand out from the crowd of other action games. The challenge is well worth the countless deaths and hours of practice for players who have the patience, but is likely one that should be skipped by gamers who prefer to get things right on the first try.

Quantum Break pushes the third-person genre through a star-studded cast and time-bending gameplay, although it lacks the replay value that many may have hoped for.

The second episode of The Walking Dead: Michonne continues where the first episode left off, but delivers less of a consistent experience than the season premiere.

Fallout 4’s first DLC, Automatron, is robot centric and although it doesn’t pack quite as many new quests as consumers may have hoped, it more than makes up for it with the robot workbench.

Into The Stars offers up a slow-paced but atmospheric space-themed survival sim, combining the gameplay elements of The Oregon Trail and Civilization with roguelike mechanics.

Hyrule Warriors Legends is a worthy port of the original The Legend of Zelda spin-off, allowing fans to take the game with them on the go – with a few noteworthy additions.

Ska Studios’ Salt and Sanctuary is obvious about trying to emulate Dark Souls, but offers enough deep gameplay and beautiful aesthetic to stand tall on its own.

With attractive new graphics and sensible tweaks to the game’s interaction interface, Day of the Tentacle Remastered is the definitive version of a classic.

Gamers who love stealth gameplay and freedom of choice should definitely give the new-and-improved Agent 47 a chance.

Horror-themed FPS Chasing Dead suffers from a lack of all-round polish, resulting in sluggish and sometimes confusing gameplay and awkward graphical issues.

Pokken Tournament is the first Pokemon-focused fighting game ever released, but the final product feels more like a barebones offering rather than a fleshed out product.

The Division delivers on its promise to provide an open-world shooter that scales well enough to play like a single-player campaign or a challenging four player co-op MMO.

Suppressive Fire Games releases Blood Alloy: Reborn after a failed Kickstarter campaign, but problems with basic gameplay elements severely hinder a title that had potential.

Pearl Abyss’ Black Desert Online is an incredibly detailed, visually gorgeous MMORPG that succeeds at nearly everything but having a beating heart and soul.

The extra coat of paint may not dry properly on all facets of the project, thanks to the amiibo-based paywall that will block some users from the new dungeon, but it’s a nice stop-gap that will easily tide fans over amidst the wait for the brand new The Legend of Zelda game arriving for Wii U later this year.

The Flame in the Flood offers up a sometimes overly-difficult survival adventure, but the fantastic visuals and tense gameplay provide plenty of reasons to keep going.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2‘s solo quests, hub world, and robust split-screen options make it a significant improvement over its predecessor.

The premiere episode of The Walking Dead: Michonne has all the qualities of a stellar TellTale Games series: the combat is enjoyable, the narrative is engaging, the choice system presents difficult options, and the episode is entertaining from start to finish.

It’s a refreshing take on a tried and true layout that manages to set up a solid structure within its sandbox environment. This is one of the good ones.

There’s little doubt that Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest delivers on every front that it promised fans, serving up an interesting narrative and tough-as-nails gameplay.

The engrossing story, the dune buggy, and the well-designed Harran countryside make The Following worth the pricier Dying Light season pass.

Layers of Fear delivers on its promise of a unique vision of gothic horror, but the game leans heavily on creepy dolls and other cliche genre gimmicks to jump scare players as they explore its shifting corridors.

Firaxis continues its excellent work on the XCOM franchise with XCOM 2, a game that improves upon all the elements of its predecessor and delivers a phenomenal strategic experience from start to finish.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia is the third and final installment in the Assassin’s Creed 2.5D spin-off series, and it also happens to be the weakest entry yet.

A moving puzzle platformer bolstered by strong level design, a creative mechanic, and an unbelievably endearing main character